Terry advances to boys 4A state championship game

By Corey Roepken |
March 7, 2013
| Updated: March 7, 2013 11:18pm

Terry's Eugene Wright (2) and Heights' Brennan Bibbs (25) during the UIL 4A state semifinal boys basketball game between Rosenburg Terry and Fort Worth Arlington Heights high schools on Thurs., March 7, 2013 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Ashley Landis for the Houston Chronicle

Photo By Ashley Landis

Terry's Michael Maxwell (3) and Heights' Damontre McFarland (50) during the UIL 4A state semifinal boys basketball game between Rosenburg Terry and Fort Worth Arlington Heights high schools on Thurs., March 7, 2013 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Ashley Landis for the Houston Chronicle

Photo By Ashley Landis

Terry's Dimetri Amerson (10) gets trapped between Heights' Brennan Bibbs (25) and Damontre McFarland (50) during the UIL 4A state semifinal boys basketball game between Rosenburg Terry and Fort Worth Arlington Heights high schools on Thurs., March 7, 2013 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Ashley Landis for the Houston Chronicle

Photo By Ashley Landis

Arlington Heights cheers after a comeback over Terry during the UIL 4A state semifinal boys basketball game between Rosenburg Terry and Fort Worth Arlington Heights high schools on Thurs., March 7, 2013 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Ashley Landis for the Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN - Four years ago wide-eyed freshmen Derrick Griffin, Billy White and Eugene Wright made the Terry varsity basketball team hoping they could leave a lasting impression.

From day one they discussed winning a state title. They faltered three times. This weekend Griffin, White and Wright finally will get that opportunity.

Terry defeated Fort Worth Arlington Heights, 46-33, in the Class 4A state semifinals Thursday night at the University of Texas' Erwin Center. The Rangers (30-9) will play Dallas Kimball (23-9) for the state championship at 3 p.m. Saturday.

"It's been a dream," Wright said. "We've always talked and said, 'We're going to (go to) state.' Now we're doing it our senior year. That's the best time to do it."

Terry scored the game's first seven points and never trailed. The victory was far from easy.

Griffin, the team's leader in almost every major category, committed two fouls in the first three minutes. He committed his third foul early in the second quarter. He played 16 minutes total.

The Rangers built a 20-9 lead with three minutes left in the first half. Arlington Heights responded with an 11-0 run to tie the game. Terry led, 22-20 at halftime.

Wright, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds, scored on a drive early in the third quarter. Shortly after that, Terry built its lead to seven points. The Rangers never led by fewer than four points after that.

Arlington Heights (23-11) never got closer than five in the fourth quarter.

Arlington Heights coach Jon Wagner said his team missed open shots and didn't take advantage of its size by getting the ball inside often enough. Much of that had to do with his team's struggles bringing the ball up the court. They tried several options. One was senior center A'Shawn Robinson, a 6-6, 300-pound senior who has signed to play defensive tackle for the University of Alabama. None were effective.

"The first half it was nerves. We were shaky," Wagner said. "Once we got down we didn't do the things we had done in this playoff run to be successful."

White led Terry with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals. White and Wright played all 32 minutes. Griffin had nine points and three blocks in limited action.

Those three have been a part of 111 victories during their careers. On Saturday afternoon they'll try to make it 112.

"We've been working for this for four years," White said. "We never made it. This is the year. We want to go out with a bang."